Maserati Ghibli
The Maserati Ghibli '''was a GT (Gran Turismo) car produced by Maserati from 1966-1973. It is known for out selling its biggest rivals at that period of time which were the Ferrari Daytona and Lamborghini Miura. Overview Rated to be one of the most popular Maserati vehicles since Maserati withdrew from racing. This was mainly because it outselled its biggest rivals which is stated above. Engine and Performance The Ghibli was powered by a front-paced, quad-cam, 330 hp (250 kW) V-8 Engine. It had a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 154 mph (248 km/h. It could have been operated with either a five-speed manual, or a three-speed automatic transmission. Variants The convertible version was produced in 1969. It was a very rare type of the Ghibli and was out numbered by the coupes by almost 10 to 1. It was the Ghibli Spyder. The Ghibli's steel body, characterized by its low, shark-shaped nose, was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Giugiaro, who today heads his own company ItalDesign, worked at coachbuilder Ghia when he designed the Ghibli. In 1970, Maserati released a slightly powerful version of the original Ghibli which was called the Ghibli SS. It produced about five more horsepower than the originsl smout (330). By 1973, the Ghibli went out of production and was succeeded by the Maserati Khamsin which was designed by Bertone. In all, 1,150 Coupes and 125 Spiders (including 25 Spider SS) were produced. Ghibli II The Ghibli name was resurrected in 1992 with the release of the '''Ghibli II (Tipo 336). The Ghibli II appeared with updated Maserati Biturbo engines: a 2.0 litre V6, with the highest output, for the Italian and European markets and a 2.8 litre V6 for other countries, operated via a six-speed manual transmission (early 2.8 cars have a 5 speed manual) or 4 speed automatic. The two-door, four-seater coupé was similar in appearance to Shamal Maserati Shamal, as both were an evolution of the previous Biturbo coupe. The Ghibli shows its Biturbo heritage in the doors, interior, and basic bodyshell, which were carried over from the Biturbo. In 1994, the car was revised. A refreshed interior, new wheels, a fully adjustable electronic suspension and ABS brakes were added. Another round of improvements resulted in the Ghibli GT in 1996. It was fitted with spoked alloy 17" wheels, and had suspension and transmission modifications. The coupe was built for luxury as well as performance. The car featured a Connolly Leather interior with burl elm trim. The final year of production for the Ghibli II was 1997. It was replaced in the Maserati lineup by the 3200 GT the following year. Several special edition models were produced by Maserati. The first was the Ghibli KS (Kit Sportivo), followed by the race version Ghibli Open Cup which featured improved power through roller-bearing turbos, a freer-flowing exhaust, and remapped fuel computers. The Cup also featured a toned-down carbon fiber-trimmed interior with aluminum pedals and a MOMO steering wheel, and the drivetrain included tweaked suspension and Brembo brakes. To celebrate the world speed record on water, Maserati made a further 60 special edition Ghiblis called the Ghibli Primatist, featuring bright blue paintwork and blue / turquoise leather. At the time the Ghibli Cup had the highest ever per litre power output of any street legal car, surpassing the Bugatti EB110, and Jaguar XJ220. The racing version Ghibli Open Cup is highly sought after by collectors today. In 1996, the car received a modification upgrade, resulting in similar track times to those of the Ferrari 355 Challenge. After the end of the 1995 racing season, several of the original 23 cars were used in national GT events. Gallery 20120101_110343.jpg|Maserati Ghibli II Category:Maserati Category:Supercars Category:Post-war